


The Sun & The Moon

by TheBestLiars



Category: Gotham (TV), Shazam! (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And ends up in Philly, Crossover, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Of course they’ll be angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Selina and Freddy are beans, Selina leaves Gotham, Some angst, This is Selina we’re talking about, crack ship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:48:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21904720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBestLiars/pseuds/TheBestLiars
Summary: “Don’t call me that, Freds. I’m not a hero. I never have and I never will be.” “You may not see yourself as a hero Lina, but you’re my hero anyway. No matter what.”[In which a homeless street thief from Gotham falls for a disabled foster kid from Philadelphia.]{Also on Wattpad under the username: CrazyQueenWriter}
Relationships: Freddy Freeman/Selina Kyle
Kudos: 6





	1. Hello Philadelphia

Fresh air hit Selina’s face, a new scent of a new city she wasn’t used to. But right now, she needed a new start.

The air was different, good. She was used to the toxic pollution of Gotham, thick clouds with screams filling the air. Prostitutes roaming the streets along with mobsters and thieves...thieves like Selina Marie Kyle.

She was born in Gotham and self raised there. Her mother left when she was five, promising to come back.

Maria Kyle never returned.

Selina remembered crying a lot, being distraught over her mother leaving her. But being alone on the streets, she had to learn fast.

When grown men stroked her long curls while offering her a place to stay, when people pushed her to the ground and spat at her, when they tempted her with food before laughing in her face and leaving her hungry, she learned.

Don’t ever trust anyone. It’ll only get you hurt.

So Selina clawed the man who touched her, she kicked the people who pushed her down, and she stole the food from those who taunted her and then their wallets. And sometimes, she killed just to survive another day and repeated the process all over again.

She grew wild and untamed, a child who didn’t play nice. Who hardly spoke and hissed at others, put on a smile and lied through her teeth before robbing people blind.

The thief hid her beauty with dirt and grime, her short curls underneath her hood and covered by her night vision goggles. Her catlike green eyes held malice but often times it lacked emotion. She wore the face of a girl who watched a man die and smiled over his corpse.

This was a game of survival to Selina. And she was more than determined to win.

But to win, she needed to work her sticky hands to the top. How else could you do that than to work with gangsters? 

At first, they laughed. A tiny girl, no more than four feet and ten inches, wanted to be in a gang? It was laughable, Selina would agree. But she proved her worth when she revealed the wallet of the gang leader with a smirk.

Rather than getting a bullet to the center of her head, she got a job. 

Selina spent the next few months with the gang, getting paid more than she’s ever stolen in years. But she still felt incomplete.

Maybe she knew that she was just a pawn on their chessboard. That she could’ve dropped dead and they wouldn’t bat an eye. She was nothing to them and they were nothing to her. So when a rivaled gang attacked them, she left them for dead and ran.

She had robbed a bank a few days before, not telling the gang because she wanted the money for herself. Gotham was filled to the brim with nothing but crime and murder. There was nothing anyone could do about it, not even the Batman.

It was time to start anew. To leave Gotham. To make something of herself before coming back. 

Selina didn’t know what she was trying to prove. Maybe that she was more than just a piece of gutter trash, a homeless street thief. But maybe she also wanted to prove something to the people who didn’t give a shit about her. To her mother.

So she packed what little of her things she had, all her money, and left Gotham City.

And just five days after turning fourteen years old, Selina managed to arrive in Philadelphia. A part of her wondered if she should’ve just stayed in Gotham. She was starting to work her way there and now she had to start from zero all over again. But in one swift motion, she pickpocketed a man in front of her, shoving his wallet in her pocket.

She walked away before checking the wallet, finding a wad of cash. Perfect. She could finally see what a Philly cheesesteak tasted like. The thief still had more cash in her bags, all stolen. But she would save that for a rainy day.

Let’s see how Selina could take Philadelphia by the reigns. 


	2. A Supes Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A month passes and Selina meets Freddy.

A month passed since Selina left Gotham. Exactly thirty days since she’s been in Philadelphia.It wasn’t easy, she’ll admit that. There were more cops who actually gave a damn and tried to chase her when she stole.

But she had nearly nine years of practice. They would never catch her.

The thief could’ve spent the first few nights at a motel, but she needed to preserve her money. She was fine with sleeping on the streets in alleyways. It was nothing to her.

A bell rang as Selina entered a convenience store, signaling a new customer. The girl at the register didn’t bother looking up, and she was fine with that. She preferred going unnoticed.

The thief was fast to grab a pack of bubblegum and a handful Kit Kat’s that went straight to her pocket. She, of course, made sure no one was looking, lingered a little longer before strolling out without even looking back.

Another successful steal. Just the way she liked it.

Being in Philadelphia was still so new to the curly-haired girl. But that wouldn’t be a problem. She had fought worse odds, fought and killed to keep herself alive. Beating the odds that weren’t in her favor was something she was good at.

Selina adjusted the zipper of her black leather jacket, pulling it closer to her neck as a breeze of cool air hit her. It was April, of course it was still a bit cool. But she didn’t need another jacket, she’d be fine. Gotham snow was worse than this.

As the young thief of Gotham City walked, she spotted a comic book store. When was the last time she read a comic? She must’ve been five, but she sacrificed it to keep her little fire going on the alleyway. 

Why not give the store a peak?

And so Selina walked in, her movements cautious and calculating as usual. There were a few people checking out the comics, mostly young teenagers like herself. As she browsed through the aisles, her nose wrinkling slightly at the Batman comics.

He was okay, she supposed. But he couldn’t fix Gotham by arresting villains. They needed to be killed.

And why focus so much on the criminals? Why not help the children who lived on the streets? Get them a loving home, make sure they have food in their bellies, remind them that they are cared for and wanted.

If Selina ever did amount to anything, she would surely go back to Gotham and help those kids like herself out.

She paused when she saw a Superman comic, smiling a little. Now that was a hero she respected. Wearing a blue with a red cape, flying around. He wasn’t even human, no, but she still respected him.

The fourteen year old felt a pair of eyes on her, quickly turning her head. There was a boy on the opposite end of the aisle, wavy black hair and dark eyes. He paused when he noticed her looking back at him and was quick to look away.

Good.

She held the comic book in her hands before her green eyes scanned the area. She rapidly shoved the comic inside her jacket, strolling past the aisle and checking out the other comics. She didn’t want to leave the store too quickly, it could raise suspicion.

Selina almost considered snatching a Wonder Woman comic but decided to just stick with one. Maybe next time she’ll add to her new collection.

Soon she walked out of the comics store, just as she had done in the convinced store an hour earlier. Selina was about to keep walking and sit in an alleyway to read her free comic before she suddenly heard a voice behind her, “You a Supes fan?”

She paused, turning around to see the same boy who was looking at her in the comic book store. It was the first time she realized that he was leaning against a crutch. The dirty blonde haired girl blinked a few times, surprised that this boy was actually talking to her. “Excuse me?”

“Are you a Supes fan?” The shorter boy repeated his question, a soft smile on his lips. “I saw you checking out the Superman comic inside,” he started, looking at her, “aaaaand I saw you put it inside your jacket.”

Shit. She would’ve sworn no one was looking. Her eyes widened slightly and she must’ve looked prepared to run away because the boy was speaking again. “No no, it’s okay! I’m not gonna, like, say anything or turn you in. Comics aren’t that cheap and I know not everyone can afford it. So your secret’s safe with me.”

Well...that’s not what Selina was expecting. She stared at him for a moment, expecting that he might want something in return, but there was understanding in his eyes.

She was silent for a moment, looking down at her combat boots and then back at him. “Ummm...thanks.” That was the first time she had ever thanked someone. No one ever helped her, yet this boy wasn’t going to get her arrested just for stealing a comic book.

He nodded quickly, still smiling at her as he adjusted his hold on his crutch. “Anytime! I am more of a Supes fan too. I mean, he’s just great! With his super strength and laser eyes—and, and he can fly!” He was rambling now, words flowing from his lips. But it was cute.

The curly-haired teenager giggled a little, nodding. “Yeah, he’s pretty cool. So I guess I am a Supes girl.” She said, rubbed the back of her neck.

He continued smiling at her before his eyes widened slightly. “Crap, I have to be headed home...but I’m Freddy! Freddy Freeman!” He held his hand out to her.

Selina stared at his hand for a moment before slowly shaking it. “Call me Cat.” Was all she said. She didn’t know if she could trust him, so he didn’t need to know her real name.

This seemed to be enough for Freddy, still smiling at her before pulling his hand away. “Well, it’s nice meeting you, Cat! Maybe I’ll see you around.” There was some hope in his brown eyes, a look she certainly wasn’t used to. 

“Yeah...yeah, maybe.” Selina bit her bottom lip, pushing away her wild curls from her eyes. “See ya kid.” She said before turning on her heel and walking away.

She waited a few moments before turning around, seeing the boy still smiling at her before he started limping away to the opposite direction. The thief sighed a little before continuing her journey to the alleyway she was making as her home.

She eventually sat down once she arrived, leaning her back against the dumpster and took out the comic book. She admired the cover before opening it and smiling again. God, she felt so young again, reading comics. It was weird...but she didn’t mind.

As Selina continued to read, the boy with the crutch ran through her mind. But she was certain that she’d never see him again...

...right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is out and Selina and Freddy have met! I am currently writing chapter 4 so chapter 3 will be out tomorrow before taking a short break for the holidays! Thank you for reading! :)


	3. The Thief’s Little Helper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selina and Freddy run into each other again at the comic book store.

Selina adjusted her hold on her black backpack that contained stacks of cash, an extra pair of clothes, her night vision goggles, and Superman comic.

She had finished it with ease, rereading it multiple times within the last four days that she had the entire thing memorized.

And it wasn’t easy carrying a backpack around all the time, but Selina needed to. She hadn’t found an abandoned house to stay at for now. Besides, she wasn’t stupid enough to leave her backpack filled with stolen cash out in the alleys.

Selina scratched the side of her head as she neared the comic book store, biting her bottom lip before walking inside. She didn’t want to keep reading the same comic book all day long. She needed something new.

Her green eyes scanned around, walking through the aisles and scoffing a little at the Batman comics. Yup, she wasn’t the biggest fan of him still. That wouldn’t change for a while. She spotted the same Wonder Woman comic she had seen earlier that week.

“Did you know that Wonder Woman is the daughter of Zeus?” The sudden voice made Selina nearly jump out of her skin, whipping her head around to see the boy who let her steal that Superman comic, Freddy.

For someone who walked with a crutch, who knew how to be quiet. Either that, or the thief was losing her touch.

“Umm...no. No, I-I didn’t know that.” She admitted, pushing some of her curls away from her eyes. Freddy was wearing a blue Superman shirt, making her smile a little before looking back at the comic book.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure she is. I mean, it would explain why she’s so powerful, ya know? Like, she has to be a goddess!” He rambled, something the teenager certainly wasn’t used to.

But Selina found herself listening, nodding slightly. “I wouldn’t be surprised. Zeus was like...the biggest man whore ever.”

This brought a small smirk to his pale face, nodding quickly. “He definitely was, and a grade A douchebag!”

A giggle escaped her lips, now holding the comic in her hands. “You’re not wrong. He’s always portrayed as this super nice guy but he was the worst god out of all them.”

“I know! Hell, Hades was way better than him!” Freddy agreed, waving his hands around.

“Hades was just an awkward and emo introvert who didn’t know how to talk to a girl.” Selina said as she chuckled softly, looking around the store to make sure no one was looking instinctively.

They were quiet for a moment, Selina still looking before Freddy spoke again. “Don’t worry. No one’s looking. You can put it in your jacket.”

She looked confused, opening her mouth to deny the fact that she actually was about to steal it, when he suddenly moved his crutch quickly and knocked over some of the comics off the aisle. “Oops! Crap, lemme get that!” 

He made eye contact with her and she knew immediately what he was doing. She knelt down with him, picking up the comics before quickly shoving the one she was holding inside her leather jacket.

Freddy lifted some of the comics before pushing another one toward her. The curly haired girl’s eyes widened but he shot her a reassuring smile. And so she took it, putting it in her jacket just as she had done seconds earlier.

They soon stood up, Freddy taking a little longer due to his crutch as they both put the fallen comics back where they belonged, but no one was looking at them. Wow. That was easy. Now they just needed to walk out. He seemed to notice her eyes at the door, patting her shoulder-which caused her to stiffen and pull away slightly.

“C’mon, we’ve got homework to do, Cat!” He said loud enough for people to hear and she nodded, walking out the door with him right behind her.

They walked together silently for a minute before Selina stopped moving and looked at him. “Why? Why are you helping me? What do you want?”

He looked a bit surprised, maybe confused before shrugging. “I don’t want anything, I promise. I just wanted to help. You look relaxed when you looked at the comic books. I figured you might want some more.”

Selina stared at him intensely, trying to see what the hell his deal was. But his eyes were genuine. He smiled, seeming like he wasn’t uncomfortable by her strong gaze. She bit her bottom lip, going quiet before muttering a thank you. Another thank you within that week. She had to be softening, she had to be.

He smiled more at her, shrugging. “It’s no problem, really. I mean, you’ve got good taste in comics, I’ll give ya that.”

The thief chuckled softly and nodded, looking down as she fiddled slightly with the zipper of her jacket. “I guess so.”

He continued smiling at her before seeming to snap out of it. “I gotta head on home but...I’ll see you soon!” There wasn’t a question, or hopefulness like their last interaction. He seemed like they knew they would see each other again. Maybe they would. Who knew.

“Bye Freddy.” She said with a little smile and he seemed to grin more, like he was happy that she remembered his name. He said his goodbye quickly before turning away and limping toward where she assumed his home would be.

This time, Selina watched him leave before finally turning around and walking off. She didn’t know where she was headed, but not an alleyway, that was for sure.

The dirty blonde haired teen walked and walked until she spotted a warehouse. Her catlike curious instincts got the better of her and she entered inside. 

It seemed empty, concrete walls and beams around her. It didn’t even look like there was any construction going on. It was perfect for her to stay in from now on.

She threw her backpack down and sat on the hard ground, unzipping her jacket. She pulled out the two comic books, both different issues of Wonder Woman. She placed them in front of her and her nimble fingers found themselves grasping onto the one Freddy gave her.

Without a second thought, Selina opened it and began reading while having a roof over her head for the first time since being in Philadelphia. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 is here! I won’t update again until Friday due to the holidays so merry Christmas everyone! Please feel free to leave kudos and comments, thank you for reading :)


	4. Lying is So Easy to Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freddy tries to get to know Selina better and all she knows how to do is lie.

Selina whined a little when she felt the sunlight beam through into her face, waking her up earlier than she would’ve liked. But she was used to waking up at the crack of dawn.

She rolled onto her back with a quiet groan, being careful with the three comic books under her head that she had been using as a pillow and the jacket draped on her upper body, a makeshift blanket.

The thief sat up and yawned widely, stretching her arms above her head. She wished she got to sleep in more, since she spent all night reading the two new comic books, but she supposed she needed to start the day.

The day was uneventful, per usual. She pickpocketed quite a few people and by 3 pm, she had bought herself a Philly cheesesteak. Those became her favorite food to eat, so that was definitely a plus.

She crossed her legs underneath her as she sat down on a bench, unwrapping her cheesesteak and taking a bite before humming in delight. She would never get used to how good these things tasted.

For the first time in a long time, the young teenager felt a sort of peacefulness around her. She wasn’t exactly sure why, maybe because the environment was so different than in Gotham where everyday, someone was murdered and the criminals got away with it.

As she stared straight ahead while eating, Selina heard uneven footsteps walking toward her. It was a sound she somehow managed to memorize and without even looking to her side, she asked, “you stalking me, Freeman?” 

Freddy chuckled, sitting down without asking near her on the bench. But then again, even if he did ask, would she have refused him? Maybe...but she wasn’t even sure anymore. “I promise I’m not. But I did see you from across my school, thought I’d give you some company.”

Selina scoffed quietly under her breath, rolling her head to look at him. “You saw me all the way from there?” She asked, raising an eyebrow slightly as she looked at the direction where his school was, spotting the building, and then back at the smaller boy.

“Your curls are very hard to miss, Cat.” He pointed out. 

Selina instinctively tried to smooth out her wild curls with one hand before giving up and shrugging her shoulders. “Not my fault I was cursed with this mop on my head.”

He laughed softly, resting his crutch beside him. “You know, I’ve seen you three times and each time, you’re alone.” 

“I like being alone.”

“No one likes being alone. Trust me. Loneliness sucks.”

“Hey, don’t talk about my best friend like that.” She said in a mock serious voice, pointing a finger at him as Freddy began laughing again.

“My bad, my bad!” He went along with it, holding his hands up as Selina realized that today he was wearing a red Wonder Woman shirt. Cool. “But really, don’t your parents worry?”

“My dad’s always working and my mom trusts me.” Selina lied without a second thought, taking another bite of her cheesesteak.

“What school do you go to?” He asked her curiously.

“I’m homeschooled.” Not necessarily a lie. She did teach herself how to read and write and count. Just the basics.

“That must be fun!” Freddy said with a little smile, watching her as she ate.

“It kinda is.” She agreed. “I’m still getting used to Philly though, I only moved here about a month ago.”

“Oh really? Where were you from?”

She shot him a little smirk and shrugged her shoulders, burying her teeth back into the food and quickly devoured it.

He chuckled softly, shaking his head as he looked at her. “You’re like a paradox, Cat. Wait...is Cat even your real name?” Wow. He was good. He could be a detective, put James Gordon to shame. 

Selina merely shrugged her shoulders again silently, licking her fingers as she continued to smirk at him.

He nodded, leaning his back against the bench. “Okay...I respect that. You’ve got secrets, that’s cool. But I’ll figure you out someday, Cat.”

She scoffed, rolling her eyes as she pulled her backpack closer to her side. “Good luck with that.”

But Freddy had a determined look on his face, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at her backpack. “You’re always carrying that around, but you’re homeschooled...so what’s in it?”

“Bombs.” She didn’t hesitate to respond, smirking again at him. 

“And what are you gonna use the bombs for?” The shorter boy asked, knowing that she was joking and going along with it.

“A bank. I’m a growing girl and I wanna break in and get money.”

“That explains why you keep stealing comic books.”

“Forgive me if I’m wrong, but you actually _helped_ me steal a comic and then gave me another one to steal!” She retorted.

Freddy held his hands up again in mock surrender. “You got me there.” He chuckled. “But did you enjoy them?”

She smiled, smiling a lot more than she has within the last nine years. “Yeah. I did. They were pretty good.”

“I know, those are my favorites. I was hoping you’d like them.” Freddy replied with a grin before they both heard someone calling his name.

Across the street was an older brunette girl, waving him over. “Oh, that’s my sister. I gotta head home. I’ll talk to you later, Cat.” Yup. He wasn’t going to be going away that easily. But Selina didn’t think she minded.

“Alright, wouldn’t want to keep them waiting.” Selina said with a little smile, waving at him as she watched him limp off to his sister.

It must be nice, to have a family. She tried hard to push down her jealousy, hugging her backpack to her chest.

She fought her hardest to swallow down her guilt as well for lying to Freddy’s face. Lying was something she learned quickly on the streets and had no problems with. But that boy who could barely walk properly was sweet and kind and seemed truthful. Yet she lied right through her teeth without blinking.

But it didn’t matter. She was a homeless street thief. She was nothing. It was better for Freddy not to know the real her.

And so Selina stood up and walked away, her backpack swung over her shoulder, as she prepared to steal some beer from a convenience store. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back from a very sucky Christmas because I was sick but here is chapter 4! I hope you all like this, and chapter 5 will be out tomorrow! Please leave kudos and comment what you think so far and what you’d like to see in the future with this fic! Thank you for reading :)


	5. Breyer Brothers, Meet the Cat’s Fist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selina witnessed Freddy being bullied and she’s not going to stand by and do nothing.

Almost everyday, Selina saw Freddy. Whether at the comic book store or just around the street, they ran into one another. And each time, he never failed to make conversation with the thief.

Hell, she learned a lot over the next couple weeks about him. He was in a group home and was a foster kid with four other foster siblings. He talked about them all so fondly and enthusiastically, Selina couldn’t stop smiling as she listened.

But she wasn’t used to his random acts of kind deeds. How he helped her steal comic books, or even gave her some, buying her Philly cheesesteaks and Kit Kat’s when he learned how much she liked them. Why the hell was he doing this? She didn’t understand. He claimed that she was like a riddle, but Freddy Freeman was a riddle to her. And she wanted to figure him out. 

But Selina knew she was going soft. Because in her backpack was a limited edition Superman comic that wouldn’t be on the shelves for another week. She managed to break into the store and steal it from the back in the middle of the night with every intention to give it to Freddy since his thirteenth birthday-she enjoyed mocking him about him being younger _and_ shorter than her-was just in three days.

Since when did she give presents to people? Never. Shit, she never got presents either. Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t remember ever getting a present, not even from her mother.

How lovely.

Selina adjusted the strap of her backpack as she walked toward his school, standing by the gate and leaning against it. It was the second time she met up with Freddy outside the school, and she didn’t mind. There were a lot of kids to pickpocket from.

She winced slightly when she heard the annoying bell ring, rolling her eyes so hard she thought they’d be stuck in the back of her head for a second. A crowd of children left the building and Selina kept her hands shockingly in her pocket. Her green eyes were focused on the dork with a crutch.

Selina eventually spotted Freddy with his bright blue beanie, leaving her to smile once again. “Hey loser!” She called our to him, a teasing gleam in her eyes.

The smaller boy quickly looked over and grinned widely. He limped toward her, pushing through the crowd until he was right in front of her. “Cat! You made it!”

She rolled her eyes, shrugging but nodded. “Of course! Now, let’s get a move on it, Freeman!” Selina nudged his shoulder lightly with the back of her hand and he chuckled, limping next to her as they started walking.

Freddy was quick to start talking, blabbing about his day and what his little sister, Darla, made for dinner the night before. But the young teenager listened, perhaps a little too much. Because she hadn’t noticed two older boys go up behind them until the superhero fanatic was suddenly yanked back by his hood and slammed into the ground.

Selina paused for a moment, her eyes going wide as she couldn’t believe what had just happened. It wasn’t until one of the boys pulled his leg back and kicked Freddy’s side that she finally snapped out of it. She shoved the older boy, hard, glaring daggers at him. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

The two boys looked startled before the one that kicked Freddy started laughing. “Aw! Will ya look at that! Looks like the little freak managed to pay someone to be his girlfriend!” The other boy started laughing and Selina nearly cracked a tooth from how hard she was clenching her jaw.

She didn’t know where this inner rage came from. She had only known Freddy for two weeks, no more than three. Yet hearing those boys hurt a disabled kid for no reason, to call him a freak, made something churn in her gut.

The last straw was when the thief looked at Freddy and she saw his pained expression, face red with embarrassment.

And Selina lost it.

She punched the one who kicked Freddy as hard as she could in the face, not even thinking twice to turn around to the other boy and kicking him in the balls. He doubled over in pain and she grabbed the back of his head, and smashed it into her knee.

They both yelled out in pain, holding their faces that were now bleeding. Selina didn’t hesitate to pull out her switchblade, flicking it open as she towered over them. She was small and young...but if looks could kill, they would be six feet under.

“If you fucking lay a hand on Freddy again, and I’ll make sure they’ll be a lot more broken. Maybe...maybe, your arm?” She slowly stepped on one of their arm’s, digging the heel of her combat boot into their flesh as he started shouting. “And maybe something important will definitely be missing.” She raised her foot and smacked it merely an inch away from the second boy’s groin.

The older boy let out a startled scream at this, leaving her to smirk dangerously before leaning in slightly and removing her feet. “Now...BEAT IT!” She hollered at them as they scrambled to their feet, shouting about how she would regret that as they ran away.

Selina took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down as she closed her switchblade and put it back into her black leather jacket. She turned to look at Freddy and had to fight down the urge to laugh since he was still on the ground, his eyes wide with amazement and jaw agape.

“You good?” She asked him, holding her hand out to help him up as she leaned down and grabbed his crutch. He couldn’t even speak, barely managing to nod before taking Selina’s hand and pulling him up.

He took the crutch from her once he was up, staring up at her with the same look in silence before he finally was able to speak. “That...was...BADASS!” He exclaimed, a loud laugh escaping his pink lips.

She giggled, feeling almost sheepish as she pulled her hand off him once she was sure he wouldn’t faint. “Eh, it’s nothing.” She shrugged as they finally started walking again, pulling something out of her pocket.

“Nothing? Nothing?! You just beat the crap out of the Breyer Brothers!” Freddy exclaimed.

“Brett and Burke? God, such awful names.”

“Wait, how did you kn—?” He paused, looking at her hands before slowly looking back at her, “...you stole their wallets.” 

“They pissed me off. So this is mine now.” Selina smiled deviously, pulling out their cash and tossing their wallets to the side.

He stared at her again, awestruck, before finally muttering. “You’re the bestest friend ever.”

The curly-haired teenager paused at this. Friend? Is that what she was now? She had to fight down the urge to run, rubbing the back of her neck. “I’ve never had a friend before.” She admitted.

He smiled at her, that soft and sweet smile. “Neither have I. I mean, my only friends are my foster siblings, that’s it. But you’re still my friend.” 

She chuckled lightly, wanting nothing more than to run away because this was terrifying. But she didn’t. She continued walking with him until they neared his house.

Selina had never seen his house before, but it had a soft and homey feel to it, just by looking at it. “Oh, I got something for ya!” The thief said, throwing down her backpack and smirking slightly. “Close your eyes.”

Freddy raised an eyebrow but nodded, closing his eyes. She took out the Superman comic, holding it. “Hold our your hands.” He did as he was told and she put the comic on his hands. “I know it’s early but...happy birthday. You can open your eyes now.”

He opened his eyes and gasped loudly as he looked at the comic. “No. Way! Holy hell, this is amazing, Cat! Wait, I thought this wasn’t coming out until next week?”

Selina shrugged her shoulders casually. “I’ve got my ways.”

Freddy grinned at her, nearly bouncing with excitement. “Thank you! Seriously, thank you!”

“It’s no problem, really.” She said with a soft smile before nudging his shoulder with her fist. “Go on home, I’m sure your family wants to see you.”

He was still grinning ear to ear, quickly throwing his arms around her and hugging her tightly before letting go and limping to the front door. He waved at her before walking inside.

Selina sighed, a little smile on her face before turning on her heel and walking around the house. She noticed the windows and figured she could pay him a surprise visit on his birthday. Yeah, she could definitely do that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 5! Unfortunately, chapter 6 is taking a little longer than I’d like so it will probably be out by Sunday or Monday rather than tomorrow. But I really hope you like this fanfic so far, please comment what you think! Thank you for reading :)


	6. Lock the Windows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selina surprises Freddy for his birthday.

Three days passed, and it was the nerd’s birthday. Freddy had told Selina he would be spending the day with his family, but there seemed to be an almost solemn look in his eyes.

Maybe he wanted her to be with him for his birthday too? No, that was stupid. She was thinking too much into things again.

Turns out, no one really went to the warehouse the thief was staying at. Which was perfect since she could hide all her cash in one of the loose floorboards and leave her comic books there rather than to keep on carrying them around.

It was getting dark, which was what Selina preferred when she went out on her walks. Darkness. It was easier to pickpocket people that way. But she wouldn’t really be pickpocketing anyone today. Only breaking into a house.

No biggie.

Sure it might’ve been a bit creepy to break into her friend’s house, but she sure as hell wasn’t ready to meet his large family yet. She was barely comfortable around just Freddy. The teenager might suffocate if she met everyone else. So breaking and entering would have to do.

The house was empty, presumably because the whole family had gone out for her friend’s birthday. Woah. Selina was. Ever gonna get used to calling that dork her friend. That was terrifying. But as she looked at the house, she knew it’d be easier to get into now that no one was inside.

The catlike girl climbed up a tree skillfully, hoisting herself up before looking around. She peered through one of the windows once she was high enough and was relieved to see a Superman poster. This was the one. So she dangled off the tree, hanging on by only one hand before slowly managing to open the window.

Freddy really needs to learn to start locking his windows from now on.

Selina pushed herself in, stumbling on a used shirt on the ground but quickly regained her balance. She looked around the room, a light smile dancing on her lips.

Different superhero posters hung along the walls and comic books were strewn across his floor and bed. The thief walked closer, looking at the baterang replica he had resting on a shelf. She rolled her eyes, her distaste for Batman strong within her, but felt the toy against her finger. It was sharp, she could definitely stab someone with that.

Cool.

Selina spent the next hour going through all of his comic books, reading them while sitting criss crossed on his chair before she heard voices downstairs. The family must be home. Hurray.

It was another few minutes before she heard the familiar uneven steps that belonged to Freddy. She smiled, not bothering to move when the door open and he let out a high pitched shriek of surprise.

“Happy birthday, Freds.” Selina said with a sly smile, putting his Wonder Woman comic down and turning her body a little more to face him.

He had a hand to his chest, trying to calm himself down as he stared at her with wide eyes. He looked around to make sure his family didn’t hear him and closed the door, limping toward her. “How-wha-how the hell did you get in here?!” 

The catlike teenager lazily pointed towards window. “You should learn to lock your windows, kiddo. It’s not that hard to climb a tree and hop on in here.”

Freddy stared at her in shock, looking like he had about a million things he wanted to say at once but nothing came out of his mouth.

“You’ve got a lotta things in here.” She said simply, leaning back as she gestured to his comics and then at the replica of the baterang. “I can’t believe you actually have that junk. What a nerd.”

“God, what do you have against Batman?” He asked her, propping a hand on his hip.

“Who said I had anything against Batman?” 

“Every time you look at anything remotely related to Batman, you look like as if you just caught a whiff of dog shit.”

“Probably because he is shit.” The older girl whispered under her breath, making his jaw drop.

“Are-are you serious right now? Batman is not shit!”

“Oh hell yes he is! Like, what are his superpowers again? Nada. He’s just rich, boo hoo!” She rolled her eyes, leaning against the chair.

He limped towards his bed, sitting down on it and resting his crutch on the wall beside his bed. “You sound like you have some personal vendetta against him.”

Maybe she did, now that she thought about it. He fought horrible criminals when he should’ve killed them. And with all that money, why not help out the homeless kids in the Narrows? She didn’t get it.

But Freddy didn’t know that and certainly didn’t need to know, so Selina shrugged her shoulders up and down before changing the subject. “How was your birthday anyway? Did anything special?”

And so the superhero fanatic seemed to forget about their banter and went on and on about his day. The type of cake he had-triple chocolate flavored-, all his presents-most being superhero related, of course-, and they went out to a pizzeria-he ate pepperoni pizza.

Not like Selina was actually paying attention or anything.

She had no idea how long they were talking for, maybe hours, before Freddy tried to hide a yawn behind his hand while he was mid talking.

“It’s getting late, I should probably head out anyway.” The curly-haired girl told him as she moved to her feet, fighting down a giggle when Freddy let out a little whine in protest. “You’ve had a long day, Freds. Rest.” She lightly pushed his chest down to his bed, making him chuckle.

“Cat?”

“Yeah dork?”

“Thank you for coming.” He smiled at her, that sweet smile that made something inside of her very soul flutter and made her regret lying to his face.

What the hell was he doing to her? 

Selina chuckled, playfully flicking his forehead, making him pout. “Yeah, no problem. I’ll see you around, kid.”

She made her way to the window, opening it before turning her head to look at the brunette. “Next time, lock your window.”

Freddy leaned up on his elbows to look at her, making eye contact. “What if I don’t wanna lock it?”

That bold question caught her off guard and her face felt almost warm. Her mouth was slightly open agape before turning away, pushing her body out of the window. “See ya, Freddy!” Was all she said before jumping off. 

She landed on her feet, pushing aside some of her dirty blonde curls before looking up at the open window. Freddy was standing over it, his eyes wide but a huge smile on his face. The thief waved teasingly at him before running off.

How did it get to this point where the young teenager grew so comfortable with that boy? She wished she had an answer to that. The only thing Selina knew was that this wouldn’t be the last time visiting Freddy through the window. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I worked my ass off to finish chapter 6 so here it is! I’ll see if I can get chapter 7 out by tomorrow or Tuesday before the end of the decade! Lemme know what you think of this chapter so far! Thank you for reading :)


	7. How to Admit the Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selina decides to be a little more honest about her past to Freddy.

It took literally two months for Selina to finally decide to tell Freddy the truth about her.

Yeah, that was a while, but she felt like she needed to be honest because of how close they were starting to get.

She didn’t know why she was so hesitant. Maybe because the thief was afraid that he would be upset and no longer talk to her? She wasn’t sure. It would be better if they just stopped talking...but why didn’t she want to let that go?

The past couple months have been Selina sneaking into the cripple boy’s room and talking until the sun went down. As he promised, he never locked his windows and sometimes left them party open so it’d be easier for her to get in.

Once she told the truth, she was certain that he would begin locking his window.

The curly-haired girl was early as she hopped in through the window, landing to crouch on top of a chair and stared at the Superman comic book she had gotten him for his birthday, which rested on his desk. He must’ve been rereading it again.

She sighed quietly, not moving since she knew Freddy should be in in a few minutes. And she was right, listening to his uneven footsteps before he opened the door. He immediately grinned at her and Selina’s stomach jumped. She needed to focus. She couldn’t keep backing out.

“Cat! Hey, how are—?” He started, limping toward her before pausing and looking at her, “what’s going on? You look worried, is everything okay? Did something happen?” He asked her quickly, making her put a hand up and shake her head.

“Easy Freddy, it’s just...do you think you can make up something to your parents? I-I need to tell you something but...not here.” She explained and he quickly nodded in understanding.

“Yeah, yeah, I could make something up. Meet me outside the house in fifteen?” He asked and she nodded, moving to the window again as she brushed aside some of her curls.

“Okay...see you then.” Selina said before jumping out the window and left.

She made sure to keep her distance from the house in case someone in his family saw her. But less than fifteen minutes later, Freddy’s familiar blue beanie poked out and she walked toward him. He shot her a soft smile. “Okay, lets go.”

They were silent as they walked, Freddy following Selina. She fiddled with the zipper of her leather jacket in thought, taking a few deep breaths. She was trying her hardest not to back out despite how much she wanted to. He should know the truth.

Finally the thief stopped walking, the both of them standing right in front of the warehouse. The brunette looked confused, turning his head to look at her. “What are we doing here?”

Selina took another deep breath, still fidgeting with her zipper. She didn’t answer but instead walked inside, hearing the slightly shorter boy follow her inside.

They walked for a moment before stopping again. Freddy looked at the comic books around the floor and spare clothes, a half empty bottle of water. It slowly registered in his brain and he looked at her. “You live here.” He stated, not asking.

The dirty blonde nodded. “I lied to you. About my parents. I never knew my dad and I haven’t seen my mom in years. This is where I’ve been living the past few months.”

Freddy looked at her, an almost unreadable expression before nodding. “I had a feeling you weren’t being completely honest and were living on your own. You wore the same clothes a lot.” He pointed out before reaching over and grabbing her hand. Her heart started pounding and she tried her hardest to ignore it. “Before you moved here, where did you live?” 

“On the streets.” Selina told him, letting him hold her hand before sitting down on one of the crate boxes she had brought in as a makeshift chair. “I’ve lived on the streets since I was five.”

He sat down on another crate box next to her, his eyes going wide with horror. “Since-since you were _five_? You were a kid...how are you even alive?”

She snorted quietly and shook her head, her curls bouncing as she did so. “I’m not alive. I’m surviving. That’s what I’ve been doing for nine years. Survive. I’m not living, Freds.”

He frowned softly, sighing. “I wish you told me this earlier. I have a bunk bed, Cat. You could’ve slept on the top bunk, it’s a helluva lot more comfortable than here.”

Selina chuckled and shook her head again. “It’s fine, really. I don’t mind the warehouse, it’s better than the streets, really.” She bit her lip for a moment before sighing. “And by the way...” she took a deep breath, “my name’s Selina. Selina Kyle. Not Cat.”

Freddy stared at her with a kind look in his eyes before gently squeezing her hand. “That’s a perfect name for you. Selina. It suits you. You look like a Selina. Seeeeeliiiiiinaaaaa!” She started laughing when he drew out her name, nudging his shoulder and he nudged hers back as he began to laugh as well.

Her nerves began to relax, feeling at ease as they laughed and held each other’s hand. “You’re...you’re not upset that I lied to you?” She asked him, a bit confused.

The superhero fanatic shook his head quickly. “No. I’d never be upset at you. I understand why you didn’t tell me. You were homeless and didn’t know if you could trust me. Right?” He asked her and she nodded. But did she fully trust him now? She didn’t know. “So...it’s okay. I promise, Lina.”

“Oh god, you already came up with a new nickname for me.” Selina pretended to sound annoyed but she was already giggling. 

“You’re damn right! I’m the nickname king!” He declared loudly and they both started laughing.

They talked for some more, making sure to not mention anything more about Selina’s past before Freddy realized that he went over his curfew. She walked him home, giggling at his panicked expression once he was outside his house. “Pray for me, Lina.”

She giggled and ruffled his hair, rolling her eyes. “I’ll pray for ya, Freds. Now get your ass inside.” He laughed but limped inside the house, surely about to get grounded as she made sure he was safe before walking away.

Wow. She was honest. And it didn’t get her hurt. That was amazing.

She would tell Freddy more about her past later, once he was no longer in house arrest. Maybe not about how dark her past could get, including murder and gangs, but about Gotham and her thieving lifestyle.

But he still didn’t judge her for lying. He looked at her with soft eyes and treated her the same. What did the thief ever do to deserve someone as kind as that to be her friend?

But Selina did know that she couldn’t wait to see him again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is chapter 7! Due to the new year and going to Disneyland for a day, I actually will not be publishing chapter 8 until Saturday. So please feel free to leave kudos and comments while I’m away! Happy New Year everyone and thank you for reading :)


	8. Got Ham

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selina and Freddy talk about Gotham.

It took a week until Selina and Freddy were able to hang out again. But that never stopped her from sneaking into his room through his window.

They were getting closer and closer now and she didn’t know what she’d do without him. She had never felt so comfortable as she did now.

But today, they were at the warehouse. Freddy was sitting on a crate while sipping his strawberry milkshake and Selina lied on her stomach, using her leather jacket underneath her and having her black shirt on as she sipped her chocolate milkshake. They had been talking when the topic of where the older teenager was from came up. 

“Gotham.” Selina told him without looking up from the comic book she was flipping through, taking another long sip of her shake.

Freddy’s eyes widened, leaning a little closer to her. “Gotham? Gotham? The place where the criminal rate is fifty times worse than anywhere else in America? And there are dozens of psychotic villains roaming the streets?”

“Is there another Gotham I wasn’t aware about?” She asked teasingly, raising a dark eyebrow as she looked at him.

He didn’t say anything for a moment before pointing at her and exclaiming. “That’s why you hate Batman so much!” 

She giggled and pushed herself into a sitting position, rolling her eyes. “I don’t /hate/ Batman! I just...extremely dislike him.”

“That’s basically what hate means, Selina.” He said with a deadpanned expression, making her laugh again.

“It’s different. I extremely dislike the flying rodent.” 

“Why do you extremely dislike the ‘flying rodent’?” Freddy asked, using air quotes as he took another sip of his shake.

Selina cleared her throat, preparing her rant. “He has the most stupidest rule: no killing. I mean, I guess he has morals, but there are plenty of villains who need to die rather than being thrown into Arkham and breaking out a few days later. Like, Joker! He needs to be dead! But nooooooo! Keep that monster alive!” She rolled her eyes in disdain, but she wasn’t finished.

“It’s obvious that Batsy’s rich, like, billionaire rich, hence why he can afford all those gadgets. But why doesn’t he use all that money to help out the homeless street kids living in alleyways near the Narrows? There’s dozens of them who need help yet he does nothing!” She raised her hand in annoyance, taking a breath and a long sip of her milkshake to calm herself down. 

The superhero fanatic stared at her, an amused smirk on his face before slowly nodding. “Okay. You’ve got a point. Especially about the street kids thing. No wonder you have a personal vendetta against him.”

“It’s not a personal vendetta.” She rolled her green eyes.

“Sounds like it to me.” He stated, the amusement still obvious on his face but he decided to drop the subject for now. “What’s Gotham like?”

“Imagine every horrible, terrible, god awful thing you’ve ever heard about Gotham.” She pointed a finger at him. “Now multiply that times fifty and that’s Gotham City.”

The brunette looked like he was thinking about it, shaking his head slightly. “God, Lina. I don’t get it. How the hell did you manage to survive out on those streets alone when you were a kid?”

She didn’t say anything for a moment, genuinely thinking the question over. She eventually shrugged her shoulders and gave him a small and sad smile. “I don’t know. Sheer luck, I guess. And strong determination to prove everyone wrong.”

“And boy, did you prove them all wrong.” He said, sounding so proud that it almost made Selina blush. Almost.

“Not yet. I still don’t have anything.” She shook her head. “I’m gonna get as much money as I can and go back to Gotham to help out those street kids I left behind.”

“Wow...that’s beautiful.” There it was, the fondness in Freddy’s eyes that made her heart flutter. He looked at her as if she was a goddess sometimes and she just didn’t get it. She was just a homeless street thief. Nothing important. 

“I’ve got, like, one more question if you don’t mind me asking.” He said and she waved for him to continue. “Why did you decide to come to Philly?”

She shrugged her shoulders again. “I was in a gang that ran into some trouble. I decided it was time for a fresh start. Figured this was the place to go.” 

Freddy smiled at her, nodding. “You made the right choice.” He said before pausing. “Wait...where’d you get the money to get here?”

Selina pointed a finger at him. “Okay, now you’re pushing it on the questions.”

He held his hands up in mock surrender. “You’re right. The less I know, the less I can tell the police if they interrogate me.”

“Smart boy.” She said and they both laughed together, going back to sipping their milkshakes in comfortable silence. 

“Soooooo...we both know Batman’s true identity, right?” He asked, making her smirk slightly and nodding. “Let’s say it at the same time.”

“Okay, one...”

“...two...” 

“...three—Bruce Wayne!” They both yelled at the same time before bursting into a fit of laughter.

“It-it makes so much sense!” The younger boy managed to say once he stopped laughing.

“And we have, like, never seen Batman and Bruce Wayne in the same room! It’s definitely him!” Selina agreed, resuming her previous position which was lying on her stomach.

That’s how there conversations were. Talking about things they liked or didn’t and laughing about it. Freddy Freeman somehow made her more comfortable. Whether that was a good or a bad thing was yet to be figured out. 

But for now, Selina will take what she can get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 8 is here! It’s the shortest chapter I’ve written but hopefully it will suffice. Chapter 9 should be out by Tuesday, which is the final chapter before the angst begins. Don’t worry, it won’t last long. Feel free to leave comments on what you think so far! Thank you for reading :)


	9. A Stray Cat Named Superman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selina finds a stray cat and Freddy decides to name him.

Freddy ended up going back to school in August, but was that stopping Selina from dropping by and visiting him? 

Absolutely not.

She still read his comics while he worked on his homework, resting in the peaceful silence that flowed so naturally between them. 

Despite being friends for four months, the thief was definitely not ready to meet his family. They all seemed nice from what Freddy has told her, but that seemed a little much for her, to meet his whole family. He was fine with her not meeting them, just wanting her to be comfortable and all.

So it was just the two of them, the way she liked it. She had never interacted with someone as much as she interacted with Freddy. He was changing her, really. But for once, she didn’t think she minded.

Recently, Selina had noticed a stray cat following her. It reminded her of her old stray cats she basically adopted in Gotham. So she began feeding him her cheesesteaks, pouring small bowls of milk near the warehouse. And soon, the cat was attached to her by the hip.

A lot like Freddy, now that she thought about it.

“Damnit, just love me already!” The brunette exclaimed when the cat bounded away from him, resting on the curly-haired girl’s lap.

It was the last day of August and they were at the warehouse again with Freddy pouting and Selina laughing and smirking at him. “He’s a stray, Freds. Don’t put so much pressure, he’ll grow to like you eventually.”

“But why does he like you more than me?” He whined, stomping a foot as he resembled a toddler about to throw a tantrum for a moment.

“Dude, my nickname is Cat. Cat. I act like a cat and I know cats very well. I’m the cat whisperer.” She said seriously, making them both of them burst into a giggling fit.

“Okay, okay, I guess you’ve got a point.” He said, watching as Selina began petting the cat on her lap and it turned into a purring machine just from her touch. “Have you named him yet?”

She shrugged her shoulders up and down. “Nah. Haven’t thought of a good name for him. Why don’t you choose?”

Freddy’s eyes went wide and he quickly nodded. “Oh my god, oh my god, I’d love to!” He squealed, making the dirty blonde girl laugh again.

“Hold on, hold on! This needs to be good, I need a minute!” He exclaimed and she nodded, going back to petting the cat.

The superhero fan sat there for a good few minutes, plotting before he snapped his fingers and grinned. “Superman!” 

Selina paused for a moment before slowly raising an eyebrow. “Superman? You wanna name him Superman? Why-why am I not surprised you went for the name of a superhero?”

“Hey, that superhero brought us together! You stole that Superman comic and I started a conversation on it! Superman made us friends, it’s only right that the cat be named Superman!” He exclaimed, pointing a finger at her.

It amazed her that he still thought about the day they met. And wanted to name her cat after something that connected them.

What a fucking dork.

But that was her fucking dork, so there’s that. 

She giggled and nodded, her curls bouncing as she did so. “Alright. We can name him Superman. But Supes is definitely gonna be his nickname.”

Freddy grinned even more as he nodded, sliding off the box he was sitting on to move to the floor. He winced slightly from the movement of his bad leg, making an ounce of concern flow through her before scooting carefully closer to them. “I wanna pet our son.”

Her eyes went wide for a moment, looking at the younger boy. “O-our son?”

“Yeah. I helped feed him too, and I came up with his name! So I wanna be his dad!”

That was normal. Completely normal. But why did she suddenly feel warm? 

Selina ignored the feeling and laughed, shrugging her shoulders again. “Alright, alright. Just as long as I have full custody of our kid.” She joked.

He chuckled and held his hands up in mock surrender. “I just want visitation rights.” He joked back, making her giggle as he moved a little closer. “If I try to pet him, he’s not gonna bite or scratch me right?”

Selina giggled. “Be gentle with him. He is a stray so he can be jumpy. He needs to learn to trust you first. So slowly place your hand near his face, but not too close.” She instructed as Freddy did just that, his movements slow and cautious. 

Their cat, Superman, leaned forward slightly and sniffed his find, which made the brunette grin. “Okay. Now still move slowly so you can very gently pet his head.” 

He nodded, taking his time, even whispering a quiet “please don’t hurt me” under his breath as he lightly began petting the top of Superman’s head. 

The cat let him and Freddy started grinning, still petting his head. “This is amazing!” He whispered softly, looking at her with so much happiness in her eyes, the older girl nearly choked. 

Superman started moving, which caused the slightly shorter boy to pull his hand away until the cat stretched himself and rested his head on Freddy’s knee while keeping his body on the older girl’s lap. 

He started smiling more, going back to petting the cat and Selina couldn’t help but to start staring at him. 

What exactly was she looking at? She wasn’t entirely sure. Maybe how his brown eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. Or the large smile on his slightly pink face that grew pinker when he caught onto her staring. 

“...what? Do I have something on me?” He asked, almost self consciously and Selina quickly shook her head. 

“No, sorry. Just realized how dorky you look.” He gasped dramatically, grabbing his crutch and nudging her gently with it, which made her laugh. 

Superman yawned and moved away again, fully resting himself on her lap as Freddy frowned in disappointment. “Traitor!” He whispered, shaking his head slowly. 

Selina looked at him and smirked teasingly. “It seems that I’m his favorite!” 

Freddy gave her a deadpanned expression before flipping her off, causing her to hold up both of her middle fingers as they both laughed. 

Despite their fun times and how they joked around, she could feel something lurking in the air between them. That despite all the comfort, there was something more. 

But she ignored it. That’s all Selina needed to do. Ignore the feeling and it’ll go away. 

It was better this way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 9 is here aka the last fluff chapter! This is the beginning of some angst and I apologize in advance for that. Chapter 10 should be out by Friday. Please leave kudos and comments on what you think so far and what you’d like to see in the future! Thank you for reading :)


	10. Realization Always Results in Running Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selina finds Freddy being bullied again and this causes her to realize something about her true feelings toward him.

Selina knew that as soon as she woke up, this day wasn’t going to be good.

It’s not like everything was going wrong or something like that. It was basically normal.

But it was like this sixth sense thing she had going on, that something wasn’t going to go right. Something bad would happen.

And her instincts never let her down. 

The weather was cooling down again, causing Selina to zip up her leather jacket nearly to her neck to keep warm. It didn’t help that her stomach was twisting, the urge that something was wrong screaming inside of her. 

But she didn’t know what was it. What was going wrong.

So she walked, walked far to clear her head. She spotted a small lake nearby, huffing quietly that she didn’t see it earlier and decide to take advantage of it during the summer since it was the first week into October. 

Well, maybe next summer would have to do. The lake would start freezing over by next month, maybe within the next few weeks even.

As she walked closer, Selina spotted three figures by the lake. She frowned and moved faster when she realized that they looked familiar.

Her heart lurched into her throat.

It was the Breyer brothers, pushing a much smaller kid into the freezing lake water as the kid let out a cry of pain. She couldn’t hear the words they were saying but could hear their laughter before one of them took the crutch from the boy and broke it in half over his knee.

Wait.

Crutch.

Freddy. 

Selina saw red.

She scrambled for a moment before grabbing a rock nearby and throwing it as hard as she could.

It hit one of the brother’s, she supposed it was Brett, head and he stumbled and fell into the lake.

She didn’t hesitate before there was another rock in her and and it connected to Burke’s head, moving quick as she approached them and was shaking with rage.

She hadn’t felt this angry in years. The last time she was this angry, the man who tried touching her had his throat ripped out by her hands. 

She was murderous.

“When your mother was pushing you out of her herpes filled vagina, did the doctors drop you two on your heads when you were born?! Or were you just born fucking stupid?!” Selina yelled at them and would’ve ravished in the look of fears in their eyes of it weren’t for how angry she was.

“Because I remember clearly telling you two to leave Freddy alone. Maybe this will help remind you.” She pulled out her switchblade and popped it open, her green eyes going dark as they struggled for a moment to get to their feet and ran off.

She wanted to go after them so badly because she knew what she needed to do.

Selina was gonna kill them.

She was gonna rip them to shreds slowly and painfully.

She was going to have them begging for mercy, mercy she would not give them.

But right now, that would have to wait.

She needed to help Freddy first.

That’s what mattered first.

Selina forced herself to calm down before edging toward the corner of the lake, her boots touching the water as a look of concern was evident on her face. “Freds, you okay?” 

He was visibly trembling, a bruise on his cheek as water soaked into his clothes and completely drenched him. He wiped his face quickly before looking at her, his pained brown eyes rimmed with red and still glossy with tears.

She wasn’t good with people crying, not used to it. She felt almost uncomfortable but she pushed her true feelings aside and stepped closer, ignoring the water seeped into her pant leg and held her hand out to him. “Let me help you.” 

Her eyes were soft and careful, feeling almost as if she was approaching a wild and wounded animal. Much like a stray cat she helped back in Gotham, his tiny paw bleeding. But this was an actual human being, something that wasn’t the thief’s forte.

“B-but my-my crutch...” he looked over at the crutch that was broken near them, causing her to take another deep breath to prevent herself from stealing a monster truck and running over those boys.

“It’s okay, I’ve got you. I promise.” She said softly, a reassuring smile on her face before he slowly took her hand. She carefully pulled him up, wrapping her other arm around his waist. He whimpered in pain and she had to move slow as she led him out of the lake.

At this pace, it would be dark by the time she got Freddy to his house. They needed to be faster, especially since he was soaking wet and could probably get sick from this.

“Freds, I’m gonna have to carry you, okay?” She said softly, looking at him as he was once again wiping his eyes. He was trying to hide the fact that he was crying. And that hurt her shriveled up black heart.

“I-are-are you sure?” He asked with hesitance, looking at her with teary eyes. 

She wanted so badly to make the Breyer Brothers suffer by her hand.

Selina put on a smile and nodded. “Of course. I just wanna help. Now, on the count of three, I need you to push off on your right leg, okay?” She knew his bad leg was the left one and he nodded, looking still both hesitant and nervous.

“Okay, one...two...three.” And Freddy pushed himself up on his right leg and quickly Selina managed to wrap her arm under his knees so she was carrying him bridal style.

The sight would’ve probably been cute if it wasn’t for the situation.

Selina started walking easily, a bit faster now that he was in her arms. She just needed to get him home and make sure he was okay. And then destroy Brett and Burke.

She was normally strong, despite her small stature. So carrying the superhero fanatic was easy for her. And her adrenaline was high, making her move faster. 

The catlike teenager was so glad she had memorized how to get to Freddy’s house. It only took about ten minutes before she finally spotted the house and she let out a quiet sigh of relief. They hadn’t spoken as they walked, which wasn’t unusual. But she knew why he wasn’t talking.

He was embarrassed by what happened, even more so because he was in tears. The brunette wasn’t looking at her, keeping his teary brown eyes focused on his house as they walked.

“You know...if you wanted to go swimming, you should’ve invited me. I like swimming in the middle of fall too.” Selina said lightly, just wanting to break the tension and have him be relaxed again.

He looked up at her and the corner of his lips tilted slightly upward. It was small and not much, but it was something she would take for now.

Once they neared his front door, she helped him back to his but kept his arms secure around his waist. “We’re almost there, Freds. Almost. Just a little bit more.”

Just then, the door open and a man and a woman came out. Selina realized that she didn’t know what time it was and that it must’ve been hours since her friend was supposed to be home. These must’ve been his foster parents, judging how concerned and worried they seemed.

“Hijo, are you okay?” The woman asked him, gently touching his face before turning to Selina. “What happened?”

She didn’t hesitate to speak. “Brett and Burke Breyers. They’ve been picking on Freddy and broke his crutch. I found him, helped him home.” She explained quickly as the bigger man picked up Freddy with ease to lead him into the house. 

Her eyes never left his, just wanting to walk in and make sure he was okay. But she couldn’t waltz in there. His family didn’t know her or anything. They probably just saw her as a kind stranger who decided to help out.

The woman sighed before looking back at her. “Thank you, thank you so much.” She touched her shoulder lightly and the young teenager had to use her strength to not flinch and hiss and pull away. “I’m sorry, I’m Rosa. Rosa Vasquez, Freddy’s mom. And you are?”

A lie formed in her mouth but she swallowed it down just as quickly as it came. “I’m-I’m Selina Kyle.”

The woman, Rosa, seemed almost surprised before a smile grew on her face. “Selina? Freddy’s best friend Selina?”

Now it was Selina’s turn to pause. They knew her? “Ummm...yeah. Yeah, that’s-that’s me.”

Rosa’s smile was so warm and so soft, she felt almost like she was suffocating. “Freddy talks about you a lot. You’ve made him very happy the last few months. So thank you so much for that.”

For a second, it felt like her stomach leapt up to her throat and out of her ass. 

Never did Selina think that the younger boy would mention her. But he did. He talked about her. She suddenly felt warm but tried her hardest not to let it show.

“He-he’s a really good kid.” She said softly, fidgeting with the zipper of her jacket. “I need to head home though. I-I just wanted to make sure that Freddy was okay.”

Did she have plans on going ‘home’? Nope. She needed to go in through the window and talk to him privately, make sure for herself that he would be alright.

Rosa smiled at her again and nodded. “Of course, sweetie. I’m sure your family needs to see you.” She felt a pang in her gut but once again ignored it. “But you’re welcome to come here anytime.”

She nodded, smiling a little as she stepped back. Maybe someday she’d meet the whole family. But right now, she was fine with just Freddy. “Sure. Thank you.” She waved at her before walking away.

She only made it a couple houses, looked back to make sure Rosa was inside before rushing back to the house. The thief went to the other side of the house, climbing on the same tree she had been climbing for months and quickly peered into the window.

The curly-haired girl didn’t see anyone else inside and figured Freddy must’ve been lying in his bed. She reached out and opened the window, feeling a bit relieved it was unlocked again, before sliding her tiny body inside. 

She straightened up, adjusting her jacket before looking at Freddy. He was wiping his eyes again before looking at her as he stayed in his lying down position on his bed.

“I-I thought you would’ve left by now..” he said quietly, making her heart clench.

She shook her head, stepping closer. “Nah. I’m not going anywhere. Just wanted to see if you’re okay.” She looked at him, serious but gentle. “Are you okay?”

His response was automatic, nodding quickly so she knew that he was lying. “I’m f-fine.”

She sighed, rocking on the balls of her feet for a moment. “Look, I don’t know what those assholes were saying but whatever it was, it wasn’t true—!” 

“Yes it was.” He interrupted her, sitting up and wincing in pain from his leg. She stepped forward instinctively, noticing there was some sort of heating pad on his left leg. “It was true. I-I can’t defend myself. I can’t. I constantly need someone to protect me. Like you.”

Selina blinked in surprise before grabbing a chair and sitting down on it in front of him. “That’s because I want to protect you. I want to help you. You don’t deserve to be treated like this just because you’re disabled.” She said strongly and he looked away from her as more tears welled up in his dark eyes. 

“Freds...” she said softly as she reached out and grabbed his hand for the first time, “you might not be able to defend yourself, but you have the biggest heart I’ve ever seen. You’ve helped me in so many ways, by helping me steal comic books to getting me food or just keeping me company.” She smiled softly at him and his lips tilted upward again, cracking a small smile.

“I-I’m sorry...” he whispered as he tried to wipe away his tears with his other hand.

She shook her head. “You shouldn’t be apologizing. Those douchebags should. Not you.” 

“I hate f-feeling so fucking pathetic..” he muttered and she gently squeezed his hand, leaning forward so he could look at her.

“You. Are. Not. Fucking. Pathetic.” Selina said slowly. “Who gives a shit if you’re not strong physically? You’re kind and caring, a giver. You’re an amazing human being, that’s what matters. The Breyer Brothers are pathetic, not you. I promise.” 

Freddy continued crying silently, but there was a little smile on his face and she could tell he was calming down. She lightly ran her thumb across his knuckles as she held his hand, noticing his eyes start to droop. The events of the day were tiring him out.

“Go to sleep, okay? You’ll feel better when you wake up.” She reassured him, starting to stand up before his grip on her hand tightened.

“Can-can you stay? Just a-a little bit longer? Please?” He all but begged her and how could she say no to him?

She adjusted herself and nodded, still holding his hand as he slowly drifted off into sleep.

As she watched Freddy for a few minutes, she couldn’t help but to find herself almost admiring him. He was such a great person and didn’t deserve this horrible bullying. She was so caught up in her thinking that she reached out with her other hand to touch his face before she paused.

What the hell was she doing? Why would she...the teenager’s gaze fell on his lips. They looked so soft...

No...

NO!

Selina slowly pried her hand away from his, standing up and putting her own hand against her mouth.

She couldn’t-couldn’t be having these feelings for him! Oh god, what was she thinking?!

She blocked those feelings, feelings of admiration and adoration and love away to keep herself stronger. But here she was, considering kissing him.

What had she done? 

She knew she was softening but this much? How could she have been so stupid to let this boy in, into what was left of her heart?

People like Selina didn’t get happy endings. They were reserved for people like Freddy.

She couldn’t stay here. She needed to run. She couldn’t do this. She needed to make these feelings go away, no matter what.

The dirty blonde-haired girl opened the window, taking one last look at him. So beautiful, so kind...her darkness would tarnish his light.

One day, Freddy would thank her for this.

“I’m sorry...” she whispered before jumping out of the window. She landed on her feet and ran, never looking back.

All Selina needed to do was completely avoid Freddy and everything would go back to the way it was before she left Gotham. She would be all normal again. Everything would be okay now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 10! It’s also the longest chapter I’ve ever written, over 2500 words so WOAH! It’s low key angsty and chapter 11 will also be angsty but fluffy too. It should be out by tomorrow or Sunday. Thank you for reading this :)


	11. Letting Him In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selina avoids Freddy but he’s not going to be letting her go anytime soon.

Selina was a terrible fucking human being.

Enough said.

Hell, she didn’t even feel like a human anymore.

When she saw Freddy on the streets, with a new crutch, she quickly turned around and ran and hoped he hadn’t seen her.

She thought this would be easy, ignoring and avoiding him, getting over her stupid feelings.

But it didn’t. It seemed to make her feel so much worse. 

Selina barely ate now because of it. She tried to eat a cheesesteak but thought about how Freddy constantly brought her those and the guilt inside her caused her to throw it back up.

So she stuck with just drinking water. 

Even looking at their-her cat, Superman, made her heart twist. She wondered if he missed Freddy almost as much as she did. Judging by how Supes often looked around the warehouse like someone was missing, she wouldn’t be surprised.

Ten days have passed since she started avoiding Freddy, and those were the longest ten days of her life. God, she missed him so much. His stupid jokes, his rambles about superheroes, how excited he got when he talked and his hands moved around, his eyes lighting up like a Christmas tree over the smallest of things Selina would do. 

But she needed to do this. They just wouldn’t work out. He was pure good and she...was nothing. Nothing.

He deserved someone better than her.

She poured some milk from a carton into the small bowl, petting the grey cat gently as he began drinking it.

This would normally bring a smile to her face, the calmness in the air, but she couldn’t. She had never felt so down, so low, just because she was ignoring someone.

Why did everything have to be so difficult? Why couldn’t she just have one good day? Well, she had good days, and they were all with Freddy.

He was making her weak. That’s the problem. He made her weak and she would be strong again if she didn’t have him by her side.

She could do this. She could do this. She could— 

“Glad to see nothing changed ‘round here.”

Selina froze and she spun around quickly, her green eyes wide as she stared at the boy before her.

“Freddy...wh-what are you doing here?” God, was she stuttering? She really was growing weak, damnit.

Freddy looked around, a tiny smile on his face when Superman got up and nuzzled himself against his leg and then walked off again.

She knew that Freddy would’ve been ecstatic by this affection from the cat. But he could barely smile. Looks like this was hurting him too. He seemed paler and there were dark circles under his eyes, almost as bad as hers.

“I’ve been looking for you.” He said but she wasn’t looking at him, keeping her eyes trained on the comics on the ground.

“I didn’t know that.” Was all she could say.

“Yeah. I wish I could believe that. Except for the fact that you stopped showing up by my school, at the comic book store, through my window too.” She knew that he was staring at her, but she couldn’t look up. 

“Things came up. Been busy, okay?”

“Busy? So busy that you can’t even look at me?” 

It took every ounce of strength she had to finally look up at him again. “Relax, Freddy. I’ve been busy, okay? It’s not a big deal.”

He made eye contact with her, taking her in before shaking his head. “No...why are you doing this? You don’t think I’ve noticed you avoiding me? Making sure we don’t run into each other?” He took an uneven step forward, an almost hurt look in his eyes. “What’s going on, Selina?”

She looked back down. If the thief kept looking at him, she’d break. She couldn’t. If she pushed him away, then all will be good.

“God, it’s nothing! Why can’t you leave it alone?” She asked, looking at her cat until Freddy stepped into her line of view.

“I can’t leave it alone because I know you’re lying. Selina, you live in an abandoned warehouse by yourself and you don’t go to school. I know you’re not busy! I want to know what’s going on with you because I’m worried!” He did sound worried, but also upset.

Why couldn’t he just leave her alone? 

“Just-just leave it alone!” She stood up, fairly prepared to walk away from him and leave because her patience was wearing thin.

But his footsteps were right behind her. “No. I’m not going to. Selina, just tell me what’s going on with you! Please, I just want to help! Don’t push me away!”

Selina suddenly turned angrily towards him. “Ugh! You know what, you—!” Stupid, pathetic, worthless, cripple, a waste of my time, a pain in my ass, pathetic, annoying, freak...all those words threatened to spill from her lips.

But they never did.

She couldn’t.

As much as she didn’t mean those words but knew she needed to say so she couldn’t get hurt...she couldn’t. 

Her vision was starting to blur and she wasn’t sure why until she heard Freddy’s soft voice ask while taking a step toward her, “Lina...are you crying?”

Selina paused, putting a hand to her cheeks and sure enough, there was water on her fingertips.

She was _crying_.

The girl hadn’t cried since she was at least five or six years old. She had been through hell over the past several years but stopped crying and grew incapable of shedding tears.

But here she was, crying over cruel and harsh words she didn’t mean and couldn’t even bare to say. Crying because she promised to protect Freddy and keep him safe and broke that promise by pushing him away and hurting him. Crying more now because he was now holding her hand, looking so concerned and worried to see her tears.

How weak and pathetic she was being, truly.

“Lina, Lina, what’s wrong? Please tell me, please.” He begged her but she could barely speak. She was shaking, panicking now as she sucked in shaky breaths. She hadn’t cried in so long, her body wasn’t used to what was happening.

Her brain could barely process the fact that he was leading her to one of the crate boxes, having her sit down as he sat down on another beside her. He never let go of her hand and he started to gently wipe away her tears with his other hand. She started to cry harder because of this. Damnit, she didn’t deserve his kindness, his generosity. She doesn’t fucking deserve this! Why couldn’t he understand that?!

“Breathe, okay? Just breathe, take deep breaths with me. Relax and breathe. You’re gonna be okay.” Freddy’s soft voice reassured her, taking a deep and slow breath as if to demonstrate how she should be breathing.

She struggled for a moment, choking on her own sobs but he was patient as he started to stroke her unruly curls. His touch started relaxing her and she found herself instinctively leaning closer to the hand on her head.

It felt like hours, but was probably only a few minutes, until her breathing had returned to normal and her tears lessened.

God, what the hell just happened to her? This was mortifying. Not crying for over eight years and suddenly bawling like a baby and having to be coaxed out of having a panic attack?

What the fuck? 

“Damn you...” she managed to whispered, looking down at her lap. “Wuh-why can’t you make th-this easy for me? Why can’t yuh-you let me go?”

“What do you mean? Cat, please tell me what’s going on. I can help!” God, he sounded so sure, so enthusiastic despite his concern.

Selina bit her lip roughly before forcing herself to look at him. “Y-you’re this...amazing and-and good person. And I’m...not. I’m gutter trash who constantly steals and has d-done...terrible things just to survive. You d-deserve better than that.”

He gently squeezed her hand, wiping away a stray tear from her cheek as he smiled a little. “I’m gonna say something a very special person said to me over a week ago,” he started, “you’re not trash. Not at all. People hurt you back in Gotham for no reason...they’re trash, not you. You steal to keep yourself alive and I don’t judge you for that. But...is this why you ran away from me?”

“Not...all the way.” She muttered, starting to feel warm again and nervous. She had to let him in, let him know what was going on through her chaotic mind. Freddy kept holding her hand, as if he was reassuring her that he was supporting her no matter what. “W-when you live on the streets...you learn to block basic emotions. You learn to never trust anyone and to...never have...you know...feelings for someone...” her voice dropped at the last three words, looking everywhere but at him.

The brunette went quiet until he squeezed her hand again, causing her to look at him. His cheeks were turning pink and he was smiling. “Cat...do you have a crush on me?” 

“No!” She said quickly before shaking her head. “I-I mean...I don’t know! Maybe? I’m not used to feelings, to liking someone or-or trusting them!” She exclaimed, rubbing her face with her free hand in exasperation.

He was still smiling, something that confused Selina before moving a little bit closer. “Lina...you’re honestly the best friend I’ve ever had. Really. You fought the Breyer Brothers willingly for me twice. Even accused their mother of having herpes.” She giggled softly, remembering herself saying that and he giggled too. “So...would you feel better if I said I have a crush on you too?”

She paused, slowly looking at Freddy. “You’re bullshitting me. Trying to make me feel better.” 

He quickly shook his head. “No! I wouldn’t ever do that! Selina, I fell for you months ago. I just didn’t wanna say anything in case it ruined our friendship. I didn’t want you running off...but you did anyway when you realized you had feelings for me.”

She felt shame rise inside of her, looking back down at her lap. “I...I’m really sorry for that, Freds. I’m-I’m not good with these whole...feelings thing. And it’s hard to believe that someone like you could like...someone like me.”

“Cat, you’re beautiful. Don’t make that face, you are.” He said quickly when she had scoffed silently and rolled her eyes. “You’re my first friend. I care about you so much and I want to make this work...if-if you’re willing, of course.”

She bit her lip again, looking at him. Her face felt flushed, almost like she was having a fever but she didn’t understand why. She slowly smiled a little at him before nodding. “I’m really not good with these kind of things but...m-maybe we can try...see where it goes?”

He was grinning now, still touching her curls which had her relax again. “I’ve never been with anyone either, Cat. So we can work through this together. Just...don’t push me away again, please?”

The curly-haired girl knew this wouldn’t be easy. Her internal conflicts would constantly battle her. But being away from Freddy hurt her deeply...she couldn’t do that again.

“I’ll try my hardest. I promise.” She said and this was a promise she would be certain not to break ever.

He smiled more, brushing aside a dirty blonde curl from her eye. “I probably should’ve said this the third time we met, when you called your curls a curse but...they’re gorgeous.” She looked down, biting down a smile. “And your blush is super cute too.” 

She snapped her head up, looking at him. “I’m not blushing! I do not blush!” She insisted and he started laughing softly before he looked at her again.

“You’re skinny, Cat.” He said, concern back in his voice. 

“I’m always skinny.”

“Skinnier than usual. Have you been eating at all the last several days?”

He was rewarded with silence and sighed quietly, letting go of her hair and hand to shrug his backpack off his shoulders. “I-I brought cheesesteaks. Just in case me confronting you went well. They’re probably cold by now, but...”

Freddy pulled out the two cheesesteaks, making the catlike teenager smile a little more as she took the one he handed her. “I’ve literally eaten from the trash. I’ll take a cold cheesesteak any day.” She said before sinking her teeth into it. 

It was cold, not like Selina minded. Because Freddy reached for her hand again and she felt whole as they ate their sandwiches in serene silence.

This was the first meal she was able to keep down in days.

“I have to head home.” He said a few minutes after they finished the cheesesteaks, sighing sadly. 

“I can walk with you if you’d like.” Selina offered and smiled when his face lit up happily while nodding.

And so they walked back to his house, hand in hand. It was weird holding hands but she didn’t really want to let go, even intertwining their fingers together as they walked. Freddy turned a bright red when she did this but they kept on walking in the peaceful quietness around them.

He sighed again, a little frown on his face once they reached his house. She should go in to be polite and meet his family...but not yet. Just a little bit more time.

“I wish you didn’t have to go. My house is more comfortable than the warehouse, Sel.” A new nickname. How cute. 

She chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. “I’ll be okay, trust me.” She reassured him.

Neither of them let go of each other’s hands, just staring at each other. Her eyes fell on his pink lips again, biting her own for a moment before sighing loudly. 

“Fuck it.” Was all Selina said and before Freddy could ask what she was talking about, she leaned down slightly and dove forward, planting her lips on his.

He let out a startled squeak when she did this, neither of them moving before he kissed her back and cupped her cheek. The movement was clumsy for the both of them, neither of them truly knowing what they were doing but trying their best.

And it still felt like fireworks to her.

Selina eventually pulled away, her face flushed but smirked slyly at him before patting his shoulder. “Meet me behind your house tomorrow. Six o’clock. I’m taking you out.”

Freddy was a bright red and looked like his head was spinning, trying to process what just happened and the words she was saying. “I-uhh-wha-okay, but...w-where are we going?” 

“On our date, of course.” She pulled her hand away from his, still smirking to keep up her act despite how giddy she felt inside. “Now, your parents probably miss you. So go in.”

He nodded, a dopey smile on his face as he nearly stumbled over his own feet to reach the door. “Okay, okay...that-that’s fine! Perfect! Six o’clock! Y-you got it!” He hit the door, making the both of them giggle as he blushed even more before finally walking inside.

She made sure that Freddy was inside before jumping up and down quickly and squealing as quietly as she could under her breath before running all the way back to the warehouse.

The thief didn’t know if this could work, whatever this relationship was now. But she was going to fight for it just as she had fought to keep herself alive. She wouldn’t run away from this again.

Now all Selina needed to do was make sure everything was prepared for their first date. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Happy ending! Chapter 11 is here! I know I said that last chapter was the longest chapter but...this one beat it. Nearly 2600 words so holy crap! Chapter 12 might take longer to come out so maybe it’ll happen by Tuesday or Wednesday. I gotta figure out some ideas for it. Please feel free to leave kudos and comments on what you think so far! Thank you for reading :)


	12. Lovely Starry Night Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selina and Freddy go on their first date, on a rooftop.

Selina could barely go to sleep from how she was feeling.

It’s not like she was nervous or anything. Well...okay, she was nervous. But who wouldn’t be nervous for their first date?

But along with nervousness, she was excited. She never ever thought she’d go on a date before yet here she was, going to set one up with her best friend.

And also, she felt relieved. She had a weight on her shoulders, crushing her, but it was lifted when she finally admitted what was going on. When she cried her eyes out and Freddy didn’t judge her or laugh, merely holding her hand while wiping her tears away and stroking her hair.

Could this be the start of something new for them? Something that wouldn’t crash and burn and ended in complete heartbreak?

God, the thief hoped so. 

But she still managed to get enough sleep to feel refreshed when the morning came.

Selina had started the day by breaking into a random house that was empty and using their shower. What? She wanted to at least smell good and despite being homeless, she cared about proper hygiene.

She wore a plain dark purple shirt that was hidden by her usual black leather jacket and usual ripped black pants. The teenager didn’t have much clothes, so hopefully Freddy wouldn’t mind her wearing the same crap she always wore. Then again, he constantly wore superhero shirts, even wearing the same one four days in a row.

Boys.

Her hair wasn’t cooperating with her as much as she’d like. Selina considered stealing a straightening iron before remembering the superhero fanatic said her curls were gorgeous.

So she settled for her messy and unruly curls instead.

The day seemed to pass slowly, making her wish that six o’clock would come now rather than later. Her nerves were still there, but she was still not having any bad feelings in her gut. So that was good.

But once Selina was completely dressed, she did something that should’ve been down nearly two weeks ago.

She found the Breyer Brothers’ car and scratched the sides before slashing all four tires with her favorite switchblade.

She would love to stab them both in the eyes, but knew her Freddy wouldn’t allow it. So for now, she’d take it out on their prized possession until she got furious again.

It felt almost like the curly-haired girl was running around town trying to make sure she had everything she needed for their date. God, when did she become that kind of girl? It made her feel weird and the urge to run away again grew. But she wouldn’t do that. She needed to suck it up and do this.

Soon six o’clock hit and she was already waiting behind Freddy’s house. God, her nerves were twisting inside of her and it was a good thing she didn’t eat today because she probably would’ve hurled from his anxious she was feeling.

Selina was pacing before she heard the oh so familiar uneven steps walking toward her, smiling softly before turning around.

He was dressed normally, a clean Superman shirt on and wearing a large blue jacket with his blue jeans. His hair was growing out, starting to curl at the ends which Selina found absolutely adorable.

“You showed up.” He said, excitement filling his brown eyes. 

She giggled slightly and nodded, brushing aside a strand of curly hair. “Yeah. I said I would. So here I am. You ready?”

He nodded quickly, walking closer and reaching out to hold her hand. “Yeah. I’m ready.”

Her heart jumped but she ignored it, deciding to just start walking. Freddy immediately began to ramble about his day and all, even mentioning leaving a store and spotting Brett and Burke’s car, completely destroyed, and shot her a knowing look. 

She looked away, merely shrugging her shoulders. “Huh. How interesting.” Was all she said, playing innocent.

“Very interesting.” He said, still looking at her because he obviously didn’t believe her. “You didn’t have to do that. I mean, it was beautiful, but you didn’t have to.”

She shrugged, dropping the act. “They hurt you. No one hurts you and gets away with that. Besides, I had another plan but I didn’t want to get caught.”

“What was the other plan?”

“Hijack the car and run them both over with it before putting it in reverse and running them over again.”

“Selina!” Freddy exclaimed and the thief started laughing at his wide eyed expression. “As tempting as that is, I don’t want you going to jail for murder.”

“I could make it look like an accident!”

“How does running over two teenagers twice look like an accident, Cat?”

“...look, I really don’t appreciate the attitude I’m getting from you right now.” They both laughed, squeezing the hands they held together.

It was quiet for a moment as they walked, breathing in the cool air before Freddy broke the silence. “So where are you taking me?”

Selina shot him a mysterious smile. “You’ll see.”

He raised an eyebrow at the slightly taller girl. “You’re gonna lead me to my death, aren’t you?”

“Oh totally.” She joked, both of them smiling and giggling again. “But don’t worry, we’re almost there.”

He nodded and they kept on walking until she stopped in front of a large building. They both looked at it, Freddy whistling under his breath.

“Wow...that’s high.” He said before looking at her confused. “Why are we here?”

She giggled, patting his shoulder. “It’s where we’re having our date. C’mon!” She led him to the side where there was a long ladder to get them to the top. “Okay, get on my back.”

“Wait, what?!”

“Get on my back and hold onto your crutch. We’re going on the roof.” Selina instructed with a straight face, crouching down slightly so it’ll be easier for him to get on her back.

He hesitated, much like he did when she first carried him bridal style because he was hurt. But he gave in, carefully getting on her back and she waited to make sure he had a good grip on her waist before going up the ladder slowly.

They eventually got on the roof, putting Freddy down and waiting to fully let go once he was being supported by his crutch.

Just a few feet away, was a small picnic that was filled with cheesesteaks and fries with their favorite milkshakes.

He looked at it before looking back at Selina with a soft smile. “A picnic, huh?”

She pushed her curls from her face before nodding. “I thought it’d be nice to eat something while looking at the stars.” 

“Will ya look at that. Selina Kyle can be romantic.” She felt her cheeks heat up when he said that, grabbing her hand as they walked toward the edge of the rooftop to where the food was.

So they sat down, their legs swinging over the edge as Freddy placed his crutch next to him so it wouldn’t fall off. Selina handed him a cheesesteak and his favorite strawberry milkshake. He grinned at her, taking a bite of his cheesesteak and leaned a little closer to her.

And that’s how they were, eating in silence until the cheesesteaks were gone and they made their way to the fries.

“Ya know, the view is pretty up here. Terrifying, but pretty.” Freddy said after he swallowed his first fry, looking at her.

Selina giggled, nodding. “That’s what I love about it. As absolutely horrible as Gotham is, I do miss jumping rooftop to rooftop.”

“Wait...you’ve done rooftop jumping?”

“Hell yeah! It’s fun, really. The adrenaline and rush is thrilling. And when I’m in the air for that split moment before I hit the next rooftop, it...it feels almost like I’m flying.” She reminisced, a soft smile on her face.

He was staring at her with adoration in his eyes, something that constantly made her heart flutter. “Everyday, I realize just how much of a badass you are.”

She giggled, feeling flustered before shoving a handful of fries in her mouth, chewing and then swallowing it. “I try. You kinda have to be a badass to survive in Gotham.” 

They were quiet again, finishing their fries as Selina began to sip quickly from her chocolate milkshake.

“Soooooo you’ve never been to an actual school, right?” Freddy asked her, sipping his own milkshake when she nodded.

“Yup. I taught myself the basics though. Reading, writing, counting. I don’t need to know all the algiebraya shit anyway.”

“...do you mean _algebra_?”

“Yeah, that too.” They both laughed, the brunette leaning closer to her. But she didn’t mind. She liked how warm he felt.

“You’re so lucky. School sucks. You learn about crap that won’t even help you in the future.”

“Seriously? Yeah, no. Never going to school. I’m fine with my crappy self taught education, thank ya very much.”

He chuckled, taking a longer sip of his milkshake as they stared up at the darkening sky.

“Ya know...I basically don’t exist. Like, my mom gave birth to me on the streets. She’s never taken me to a hospital, or school or even the dentist. I’ve never been arrested or anything. I’m practically a ghost.” She explained casually to him.

Freddy’s eyes widened, looking at her. “Seriously? No hospitals or anything? No records? Nada?” She shook her head. “What the hell was your mom doing?”

“Conning people.” Selina replied. “I’m surprised she even kept me around for five years. She promised me she’d come back but...I’m fourteen now. She’s never coming back. I know that now.”

He frowned, squeezing her hand gently. “She’s stupid. A stupid Karen. That’s what she is.” The curly-haired girl started giggling at this. “She doesn’t realize that she let go of an amazing and badass bitch like you.” 

She finished her milkshake, putting her other hand to her chest. “That’s the nicest thing someone has ever said to me!”

He laughed, winking at her before he also finished his drink and their eyes happened to find the sky again. The stars were shining almost down on them, making her feel calm and peaceful.

She was staring up at the sky before noticing that Freddy had been staring at her. More at her lips, really. She looked back at him and he started blushing, stammering over his words before Selina sighed.

“You think too loud.” She whispered, leaning in and lightly touched his lips with her own. Freddy kissed her back, still a bit clumsy from inexperience which had the both of them giggling.

“Sorry, I-I don’t know what I’m doing.” He said when they pulled away, the thief pressing her forehead against his with a soft sigh.

“Neither do I, relax.” She whispered and kissed him again. She cupped his face in her hands and his hand found the back of her neck. They slowly began to get the hang of it, kissing for a few more minutes before giggling again.

She kissed his cheek softly before lying down on the rooftop with a sigh. The hero fan lied down next to her, intertwining their fingers together and squeezed her hand lightly.

And so they lied there like that for another few hours with catlike teenager counting out loud to him how many stars were in the sky.

If only she knew that Freddy had been staring at her with soft eyes, falling a little bit more for Selina.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter 12! Sorry it took so long, I’ve been procrastinating instead of writing. Hopefully chapter 13 will be out sometime between Wednesday and Thursday. Please leave kudos and comments on what you think so far! Thank you for reading! :)


	13. Rocky Time, Bitches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freddy and Selina go on their second date and eat a lot of candy while talking.

The few days after their first date, Freddy had school but that didn’t stop Selina from sneaking in through his window.

They normally just sat on his bed and talked, making jokes and practicing their kissing skills.

Okay, half the time they barely talk. They just kissed and kissed until they were nearly out of breath, lips swollen. Then they’d look at each other and giggle like little school kids before talking about their day and the newest comics coming up.

That’s what they were doing now. Both of them were sitting on his bed, kissing softly. Selina had a hand on the back of his neck while Freddy cupped her cheek before whining when she pulled away from the kiss, causing her to chuckle under her breath.

“It’s getting late, Freddy. You have school in the morning.” The thief reminded him since it was Wednesday night.

The response she got was another whine, throwing his head back when she pulled her hand away from him and stood up.

“A little longer? Please?” He asked, pouting now.

“I can’t, I don’t want us to get caught.” Recently, they had almost gotten caught. They were lip locking before hearing footsteps, and Selina hardly had time to throw herself under his bunk bed before his foster dad came in.

Freddy whined once more, making her roll her eyes before grabbing her hand. “Could you meet me behind my house tomorrow? Five o’clock?”

She looked at him, smiling softly before nodding. “I can do that. But for what?”

“Because we’re going on our second date, duh.” He said in an obvious voice, smirking slightly before trying to lean up to kiss her again but was unable to because of he didn’t have his crutch nearby.

She understood the message and leaned down before moving away to tease him, giggling from how frustrated he looked as he huffed.

“Okay, now you’re being a dick.”

“Baby, no need to bring my dick into this.” His eyes widened at her statement and he blushed deeply. This made her giggle and gave him a soft and long kiss before pulling away. “See you tomorrow, Freds.” The older girl practically purred at him, smirking when the fan hero blushed even more.

The leather-wearing teenager gave him a mock salute before climbing out the window and jumping. As she walked to the warehouse, a little blush on her face and her heart pounding, she just couldn’t wait for what the next day would have in store for them.

The next day felt long and drawn out, making time go faster for Selina. She wanted to get the day over with so she can see Freddy again. Besides, her curiosity was getting the better of her and she genuinely wanted to know what he had planned.

A few minutes before five o’clock, Selina was already behind his house. The sun would be setting soon, leaving them in darkness. It was something she enjoyed.

She started humming under her breath, a toon she heard somewhere but she couldn’t quite place her finger on it. Not until she heard Freddy behind her ask, “are you humming the Batman theme song?”

Her eyes widened in horror, letting out a groan before dropping her head. So that’s what she was humming. Shit.

“I’m gonna kill myself.”

“Not if I have any say in it.” She could practically feel Freddy smirking as he chuckled, turning around to find that she was correct.

“You tell anyone, and they’ll never find your body.” She said seriously, pointing a finger at him.

He merely shrugged his shoulders, not really caring. “You threatening me is kinda hot.”

She rolled her eyes and giggled, a smile dancing on her lips before noticing that he was wearing his backpack. “What’s in the backpack, Freds?”

“Bombs.” He replied with a smirk, the exact same thing she had said when he first questioned her money filled backpack.

She giggled again, grabbing his hand. “C’mon, doofus. Take me to wherever you wanna take me.”

He chuckled and nodded, starting to limp away from his house hand and hand with hers. Just like their first date, the conversation started about school and the curly-haired girl talked about how their cat, Superman, was doing. Anything that had them smiling.

“Are we there yet?”

“No.”

“How about now?”

“Nope.”

“Now?”

“Selina!” She started giggling at his frustrated look, causing him to start smiling as well. They walked for another few minutes before approaching large steps and he made an extravagant gesture with his hands. “Ta da!”

“Wow! It’s...a lot of steps, what am I looking at?”

“C’mon! You know!” Freddy waved his hands more, making her raise an eyebrow. “The steps! THE steps!”

She merely raised her eyebrow even higher, especially when he started humming a song under his breath. “Freds, why are you humming Eye of the Ti—OH MY GOD! ROCKY!” She exclaimed loudly when it finally occurred to her, making her date start laughing. “Are these the actual steps from Rocky?!”

“You bet your cute little curls they are!” He said, making her giggle and bounce on the balls of her feet from how excited she was suddenly getting.

“I wanna run up these steps like Rocky so bad!”

Freddy made direct eye contact with her, looking serious. “Fucking do it.”

Selina giggled before nodding, hyping herself up as he started to sing the song. She looked at him before instantly stopping when she saw his phone out. “No, you’re not recording me.”

“C’mon Kitty! I promise no one will see it! It’ll be only for our entertainment purposes! Pleeeeease!” The brunette whined, giving her the kitten eyes that constantly made her give in.

She sighed loudly. “Fine. But if anyone sees that, I’m ripping your balls off.” To prove her point, she curls her hand before yanking it downward.

“Wow. Second time you’ve threatened me in one day. You’re on a roll!” She shot him a wink in response, getting back into action before running up the steps.

“It’s the eye of the tiiiger, it’s the thrill of the fight—!” She could barely hear his horribly loud singing as he limped behind her, recording as she laughed.

When she finally reached the top, Selina threw her arms over her head and jumped up and down excitedly, definitely earning more looks as he continued recording her. “It’s the eyyyyyyeeeee of the tiiiiiiigerrrrr!”

She laughed, waving him off but he didn’t put his phone down. “Freddy, stop recording! I’m done!”

“Nope! You have to kiss me first!”

That sly boy. He was hanging out with the thief too much. “Seriously?”

He nodded quickly in response, grinning when Selina leaned down slightly and kissed him as she closed her eyes. Freddy kissed her back, the girl pulling away to see that he had turned his phone toward them, successfully recording the kiss.

She rolled her eyes, nudging his shoulder. “Okay, turn it off now!” She insisted as he finally did so, leaning up to kiss the tip of her nose. This caused an almost high pitched giggle to escape her lips as she scrunched up her nose adorably, looking down quickly and then sitting on the steps.

She looked back at him and patted the spot next to her, Freddy quickly sitting beside her with their bodies pressed against one another. He took off his backpack, opening it up. “Woah, you taking out the bombs here?!” She asked in mock surprise.

He laughed softly at her joke, tipping his backpack upside down and an almost inhuman amount of candy spilled out. “Jeez, did you take a page out of my book and rob a convenience store?!”

“The faith you have in me is astounding.” He said sarcastically, handing Selina a Kit Kat bar. She immediately grinned, ripping open the wrapper before eating it.

Freddy leaned against her as they ate their candies in peace before he pulled out a different candy that she hadn’t seen before. “You ever tried pop rocks?”

She quickly shook her head, her curls nearly flying. “Nope.”

“You’ve never tried pop rocks?!”

“Well I’m sorry, I had better things to be doing then trying every single candy out there. Like, ya know...keeping myself _alive_!”

“Your sarcasm is accepted but not appreciative.” He opened the bag of the candy. “Okay, open your mouth.”

“Wow, usually I’m the one saying that to guys, but okay.”

Freddy started blushing even more, lightly hitting her shoulder as she started laughing. “Caaaaat!” He whined loudly. “C’mon, be serious!”

“Like B-Man?”

“Selina!”

“Okay, okay! Jeez, mom!” She rolled her eyes before finally opening her mouth.

He poured some of the candy inside her mouth. “Keep it in your mouth, okay?”

Selina looked confused but nodded, sitting there in silence—what the fuck? What the actual fu—

“OH MY GOD!” She screeched, clamping a hand over her mouth as the tiny and almost sour candy started exploding inside of her fucking mouth.

Freddy started laughing, nearly tipping himself backward from how hard he was laughing at her. “C-Cat, they’re called pop rocks! They pop in your mouth!”

She quickly swallowed them, a part of her hoping her stomach wouldn’t explode as she glared at the laughing boy beside her. “...I’m breaking up with you.”

“Awww Kitty! I’m sorry, okay?” Freddy whined, still smiling before flopping over and lying his head on her lap.

Selina scowled down at him, unable to fight the smile that was growing on her face. “You suck. You seriously do.”

“And that’s why you’re my girlfriend.” Holy shit. Okay. Her heart jumped up to her throat and for a second, she thought it was the pop rocks trying to make a reappearance.

She fought the urge to run away, merely tangling her hand into his soft dark brown hair. “I guess so. But you’re still a douchebag.”

He giggled, humming softly when she started playing his hair. They were quiet for a moment, breathing in the cool air before Freddy spoke again. “So...tomorrow’s game night at my house and...I was thinking maybe you could...join in and meet my family? I-I understand if you’re not ready, we can wait longer if you’d like.”

Okay. This was definitely a big step. But it’s been months since they’ve been hanging out and now they were dating. Selina needed to do this.

She poked the center of his forehead as she continued playing with his hair with a smile. “What time do you want me there?”

Freddy started smiling even more, his enthusiasm being contagious to her. Selina was going to be meeting his family tomorrow.

This should be interesting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Chapter 13 is here! I’ll also be going in a semi haitus so I can figure out what else I should write about. We are nearly halfway folks! Please leave kudos and comments on what you thinking the story so far! Thank you for reading :)

**Author's Note:**

> And here is chapter 1! It was more of an introduction than an actual chapter, but I felt that it was needed so we understand where Selina is coming from. This is an AU crossover ship, one of my favorites my best friend and I came up with. My Freddy baby will be showing up in the next chapter coming out tomorrow and this book will take place before the events of Shazam and end just as the movie does. So please leave kudos and comments and let me know what you all think please! Thank you for reading :)


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